(NewsNation) — There are dozens of canceled flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport after an American Airlines passenger jet carrying 64 people collided with a military Black Hawk helicopter carrying three soldiers near Washington, D.C.
Officials said the airport is expected to be closed until 11 a.m. ET Thursday.
As of Thursday morning, there were 273 canceled flights at Reagan National and eight delays, according to FlightAware.
“Please check back for updates, and contact your airline directly for schedule updates,” Reagan National Airport said on its website.
The midair crash happened shortly before 9 p.m. local time Wednesday. Both aircraft were sent into the Potomac River. Authorities say at least 28 bodies have been pulled from the Potomac.
Overall, there have been 502 delays for flights into or out of the U.S. and 818 total cancellations.
You can see FlightAware’s Misery Map here for a live look at flight delays.
“We are shocked and saddened by the tragic accident at DCA tonight,” the Air Line Pilots Association said Wednesday, referring to Reagan National by its airport code name. “Our thoughts are with those affected by this tragedy.”
Clint Henderson, managing editor at The Points Guy, said in the aftermath of the tragedy, it is important to note crashes like this are “very unusual.”
“I think we just really need to reiterate to the public that flying is among the safest forms of transportation in the world,” he said.
NewsNation’s Tom Dempsey contributed to this report.
